We meet every Sunday at 10am on the first Sunday of the month, and 10:30am on the remaining Sundays.
We meet in the Bethany Room at High Street
Methodist Church, Witney. Postcode is OX28 6HG.
Our children's group arrangements are currently on hold, as we have no children participating regularly at present, but with advance notice, we can always accommodate children and are happy to do so.

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

WITNEY
LOCAL QUAKER MEETING.

Meeting for Worship for Business held on
Sunday 4th September at 11.30am in the Bethany Room in the Wesley
Centre, Witney.

Four
Friends were present. Quaker faith and
Practice 12.27 was read in our opening worship.

16.38 Matters
arising:

a) Update on Syrian Refugees in Witney. A short report by Mahalla Mason has been
circulated and will be attached to these minutes.

b) The cheque for the red poppy wreath
for Remembrance Sunday has been sent to Mark Garwood the Local Royal British
Legion Representative and the wreath collected.
Don Mason has added the white poppies and attached the legion ready for
November 13th.

We thank Ruth Slade for agreeing to
lay the wreath this year but as Peter Couchman will not be in Witney on that
date she will find another Friend to assist her.

c) An email has been sent to Jason Boyd Chairman
of Churches Together in Witney offering to host an afternoon session during the
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2017.
We have booked the Bethany Room for Monday 23rd January from
12 md - 4pm. The one hour semi
programmed Meeting for Worship will be on the theme of ‘Peace and
Reconciliation’ inviting friends from 1.45 - 3.45 pm and ending with tea/coffee
and cake and an opportunity to talk together.

d)
The new Rota for Opening, Setting Up and Welcoming each Sunday is now in
operation. We now have four keys, one
each held by Ruth, Mahalla, Mark and
Sue.

e)
Advance notice of special monthly collections suggestions for 2017 was
given and copies of the list were available for the Friends present. To be confirmed at the October Business
meeting.

f)
The Testimony to the grace of God in the life of Ed Morris has been
circulated. It will be read to the
Meeting the next time that Lesley Morris is present and then sent to our Area
Meeting’s Clerk, Sandra Figges.

New
items on the AGENDA:

16.39
Finance Group: the half yearly
financial report was presented and will be circulated by email by our Treasurer.

a)
Update on 2016 figures: we have £6k at the Bank, though donations are
still to be agreed. Contributions are
likely to be on target, though this is in part thanks to the gift of £500 from
Sue Bowers’ estate, with no stipulations.
The meeting as a whole might consider whether there are any special
projects that this gift could be used for, though the Finance group’s
Recommendation is that it should be kept within our annual budget.

b)
Ruth Slade our Treasurer reminded Friends that we will need to determine
final recommendations for donations for 2016 in November.

c)
Giving in 2017: Ruth will redraft the letter about intentions to give
and ask for responses in time for the October meeting for business. Wishes to see any changes in the budget heads
for 2017 should be indicated then.

d)
The level of reserves (£2600) will be reviewed towards the end of 2017.

e) Ruth has written to the Methodist
Church with our quarterly donation, inviting them to contact her if they wish
to review the level of the donation. She
will check why we make a donation in lieu of rent rather than paying rent.

We thank Ruth and the Finance Group
for their time and hard work spent on our behalf.

16.40
Representatives to Area Meeting to be held at Headington on Wednesday 7th
September 7 - 9.30 pm at The Coach House, 46 Quarry Road, Headington OX3
8NU. Jennifer Barraclough has agreed to
be our representative and there will be space in her car for another Friend if
transport is needed.

16.41
Transfer in of Ann White from Banbury and Evesham Area Quaker Meeting to
Oxford and Swindon Area Meeting. Ann
will be worshipping with Witney Local Quaker Friends and we very warmly welcome
her.

16.42
Oxford and Swindon Area Meeting’s mailing list for Quaker Teachers
involved in education for mutual support has been welcomed by Judith White,
Roshan Somani and Adam Noble. We have
informed Sandra Figges, our Area Meeting’s clerk.

16.43
A request has been received from our Area Meeting’s Quaker Life
representatives that a report for the last year should be sent to them. Mahalla has written a report on the life of
Witney Quaker meeting consulting with the Clerk’s team. A copy has been sent to the Area Meeting’s
Quaker Life representatives and will be attached to these minutes.

16.44
The next Spiritual and Pastoral Care
Gathering is Wednesday September 14th at 7.30 pm at 5 Larch
Lane. All friends very welcome.

The Annual Area Meeting’s Elders and
Overseers (Spiritual and Pastoral Care) morning gathering will be Saturday
October 15th at Burford FMH at 9.45 am. The theme is ‘The Joys and Challenges of
Shared Eldership and Oversight in our Meetings’.

All are welcome .

AOB.

16.45
Area Meeting’s Nominations Clerk, Elspeth Wollen has sent round a
request for Friends interested in the following appointments:

2 comments:

This is really a good an example of good agenda, I will use it later for sure. Last week, I had to make such a list, well, that these guys uk essays have helped me in this, because I do not know how to make it by my own.

This is a great work that deserves respect and decent valuation. I once wrote a dissertation, it was a very difficult and laborious work. It seemed to me that I did not finish the job, but then I found this cheap essay writing service uk. They helped me finish in time and do my job better.